"Lindy Hop" on Dancing with the Stars

[Paisley]

This sounded like a bad idea when they announced it. I just didn't realize how bad. It was probably unfair to ask the dancers to teach a dance and the judges to judge a dance they didn't know, but five minutes' research would have cleared up some misconceptions. Apparently, that was five minutes too much for some people involved with the show. Len Goodman described the lindy as a "rock and roll dance" and others said it involved a lot of kicks. Neither statement is correct. Lindy predates rock and roll by about 30 years and the basic is step, step, triple step. No kicks needed in the basic.

Then there were the 50s costumes and music for a dance that was at its most popular in the 30s and 40s. My aunt, who was a avid dancer in the 50s, called the lindy "the dance of our parents." Lindy is a swing dance that's easier to do to swing music.

A couple of the professionals at least made a good effort to get it right (Chelsea and her partner Ty especially stood out); the rest did a lot of flailing around. Some goofiness is good and historically accurate. Looking like you are drowning on land isn't.

On a positive note, it was nice to see aerials done by dancers with the strength and agility to do them well.

 

[carter]

FWIW

The roots of the Lindy Hop predated the 1930's considerably just as the dance was in vogue after the 30's. The Lindy Hop is heavily rooted in the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. For a good on-line history, read here:
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3lindy.htm

You will read in the article that flips/aerials were introduced to this dance in the 1930's [probably] by Frankie Manning whose biography/memoir was published in 2008.

In 1936, Life Magazine published a 10-page pull-out titled "Life Goes to a Party" with pictures taken at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem.

In it's December 28, 1936 issue, Life published these pictures in an issue devoted to dance.

In September 1938, LOOK Magazine published additional steps in what they billed as Additional Steps to Rita Ria's LOOK Dance. (Their version of the Lindy Hop)

On the cover of their August 23, 1943 issue, Life Magazine featured the Lindy Hop.

The Lindy Hop was neither a static dance form nor rooted in a single decade. As with other cultural art forms, such as music, it was a vibrant and evolving form of dance.

While the celebrities and their partners on DWTS may not be the finest examples of the dances they perform, I certainly find them to be entertaining and enjoy watching them with my daughter.

 

[just_me]

My friends and I did the Lindy in the 50s (not very well, as I was pretty young). By the end of the 50s, and the beginning of the 60s it was supplanted by the mashed potato, the twist, etc.

So it may have begun decades before, but it was definitely being danced in the 50s. I'll bet you'd see it on old American Bandstands.

 

[Paisley]

The roots of the Lindy Hop predated the 1930's considerably just as the dance was in vogue after the 30's. The Lindy Hop is heavily rooted in the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. For a good on-line history, read here:
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3lindy.htm

While the celebrities and their partners on DWTS may not be the finest examples of the dances they perform, I certainly find them to be entertaining and enjoy watching them with my daughter.

My teachers (Dan and Tiff, national lindy hop champs) have said it started around 1927. I don't doubt that it's been done ever since, but note that the articles are from the 30s and 40s.

 

[Foofoogal]

http://www.kclindyhop.org/history_a.htm

these people think it goes back to 1800. lol

here is the Lindy Hop being done at the Savoy Room.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQJGantR2DA

 

[cherry lips]

Thanks for posting that, just_me.
Here's a video with mixed clips of lindy hoppers from the 50s (I love those full skirts!). If anyone has some recommendations of other 50s lindy hop clips, please let me know. I love that decade and lindy, so it's great when I can have both!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yry980XFdw

My aunt, who was a avid dancer in the 50s, called the lindy "the dance of our parents."

Which were the most common dances according to your aunt? This is so interesting!

 

[Paisley]

http://www.kclindyhop.org/history_a.htm

these people think it goes back to 1800. lol

The roots of lindy go back to Africa. (Again, I'm repeating what Dan and Tiff said; I've never done any research myself.) I don't think they're saying that people were doing the lindy in the 1800s.

 

[Paisley]

Which were the most common dances according to your aunt? This is so interesting!

I'll ask her the next time I talk to her.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I've definitely seen lindy done in 1950's rock 'n' roll/teenage delinquent/hotrod exploitation movies, though.

According to my dad (a teenage rock 'n' roll/hotroder in the 50's) people still Llndy hopped in San Francisco when he was a teen. He says the popular were lindy, jive and the bop.

Which they did depended the song.

 

[Paisley]

Then there were the 50s costumes and music for a dance that was at its most popular in the 30s and 40s... Lindy is a swing dance that's easier to do to swing music.

I never said nobody did lindy in the 50s. I'm sure people did it in the 90s to hip hop as well. My objection (one of them) is that lindy was made out to be a 50s rock-and-roll dance. As much as Goodman harps on doing a proper fox trot or waltz or Latin dance, I would have hoped he'd apply the same standard for lindy.

 

[maggiethespy]

Anachronisms aside, I saw maybe 6 actual Lindy swing-outs TOTAL in those performances on DWTS. There was a little bit of breakaway Charleston and some 20's and Collegiate Charleston, but very little Lindy.

It hurt to watch.

 

[reetpleat]

I've definitely seen lindy done in 1950's rock 'n' roll/teenage delinquent/hotrod exploitation movies, though.

According to my dad (a teenage rock 'n' roll/hotroder in the 50's) people still Llndy hopped in San Francisco when he was a teen. He says the popular were lindy, jive and the bop.

Which they did depended the song.

I think it is a matter of definition. A look at the clip above from the fifties shows what some might call lindy hop, and others might call east coast swing. So it seems right that your dad would indeed remember doing the lindy. But the same dance in other places may have been called something different, hence others might say they never did the lindy hop.

The bop is a cool dance that few people know about. It seems to have been the beginning of the end of partner dancing though, as while lindy had break aways, the bop was a dance taht would be done while holding hands, but not with a lot of tandem steps done, and it was a small jump to doing the same step without holding hands, which evolved into typical sixties dancing.

 

[reetpleat]

Anachronisms aside, I saw maybe 6 actual Lindy swing-outs TOTAL in those performances on DWTS. There was a little bit of breakaway Charleston and some 20's and Collegiate Charleston, but very little Lindy.

It hurt to watch.

Actually, there is a bit of a misconception, that was started by teachers in the nineties, that lindy was the swing out, and everything was pretty much variations of a swing out. If you look at clips of whitey's, or even social dancers or competitors, you may well only see a few swing outs. More than six I suppose, but not near as much as you will see on a modern performance or dance floor.

 

[maggiethespy]

Actually, there is a bit of a misconception, that was started by teachers in the nineties, that lindy was the swing out, and everything was pretty much variations of a swing out. If you look at clips of whitey's, or even social dancers or competitors, you may well only see a few swing outs. More than six I suppose, but not near as much as you will see on a modern performance or dance floor.

Actually, my point was that there were only swing outs in 2 of the dances.

 

[reetpleat]

Actually, my point was that there were only swing outs in 2 of the dances.

I think one could definitely make the argument that if there are o swing outs, it has no business being called lindy hop.

 

[maggiethespy]

Sorry that came out so short--- I was running out the door for work and I thought I hit preview instead of post. None the less, I didn't mean to have that much attitude in my reply

Anyway, this is what comes to my mind when I think Lindy Hop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTg5V2oA_hY

 

[reetpleat]

Gee, I didn't know you meant to have attitude. Now I am offended Not. Just having a good discussion.

 

[cherry lips]

Guttersnipe and reetpleat, thanks for posting! I'm not sure if this is lindy, jive, or perhaps bop (?), but I sure like it 1956:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrhGtXCGn6M

 

[Lau Mo]

I don't know anything about Lindy Hop, so this thread is really informative. I love Dancing with the Stars, but it is disappointing that they were inaccurate. It was still entertaining in my opinion though.

 

[reetpleat]

Guttersnipe and reetpleat, thanks for posting! I'm not sure if this is lindy, jive, or perhaps bop (?), but I sure like it 1956:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrhGtXCGn6M

That is some great stuff. I don't recall the details, but I think the dancers, at least the main ones, are older dancers that did a lot of film work, so their dancing may not exactly reflect what was common. That said, their style is definitely lindy hop, but modified a bit to reflect the different style and beat of the music. Very nicely so. Great stuff.